ALBUM REVIEW

The Handler

Har Mar Superstar

Release Date: 09.14.04
Record label: Record Collection
Genre(s): Pop

80Music-Critic Score
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Can You Feel the Love?
by: peter naldrett

They broke the mould when they made Har Mar Superstar. There’s been nothing like him before and his blend of rock, soul, kitsch and love is unlikely to be matched. For those unfamiliar with the whole Har Mar thing, he’s in his mid 20s, he’s overweight, he’s got a dreadful haircut and he likes to flaunt himself naked whenever possible. He doesn’t sound like the kind of guy who could command a cult following. But it’s the fact that he uses heavy doses of irony that makes him such a refreshing change. The semi-naked press photos that Har Mar Superstar provides are real gems and come as a breath of fresh air to the perfect-bodied pop stars we have become accustomed to.

Musically, Har Mar is a soft tempo blend of Stevie Wonder, Jay Kay, Prince and Michael Jackson. All these are listed as being influential heroes and all have in some way helped Har Mar Superstar to craft his latest creation, The Handler. He reckons it will be huge, and that’s testimony to how far he’s come since he started five years ago and played 200 gigs a year, selling his own merchandise and driving himself all over the place.

The Handler is actually a mature record with some great soul grooves, and even some raptastic shades of Eminem in there as well. "Transit" is very funky and "Cut Me Up" and "Alone Again (Naturally)" are also worth a listen.

The whole irony of Har Mar being a sex superstar is, obviously, carried on into the music. Through his lyrics, he seduces, makes love and reflects on his loverman qualities. Sometimes these lyrics go a little too far, so heed the warning of the explicit content on the front. But generally this is a quality piece of music from a man that carved out his niche in the market and is prepared to make the most of his quirkiness. 07-Sep-2004 9:46 PM